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Copper electroplating

Use a copper sulfate solution and a copper anode and cathode to be plated. When the power is turned on, Cu²⁺ receives electrons from the cathode and precipitates. The speed time is displayed as s on the instrument.

    C20 · Copper electroplatingReady
    Use a copper sulfate solution and a copper anode and cathode to be plated. When the power is turned on, Cu²⁺ receives electrons from the cathode and precipitates. The speed time is displayed as s on the instrument. You can also experiment with the numbers and controls below.

    Chemistry · Electrochemistry / Principles and Exploration

    Copper electroplating — principles and investigation

    In copper electroplating, the amount of charge transferred determines the amount of copper deposited. Compare the plating mass and average thickness by changing the constant current, plating time, and surface area. We examine the conservation of mass and the fact that the wider the same amount of copper is spread, the thinner it becomes.

    How does it work?

    Mass is proportional to current and time and is independent of area. If the same mass is plated wider, the average thickness becomes thinner.

    Key relationship

    Q = It · m = QM/(nF) · Average thickness = m/(ρ·area)

    Try this investigation

    1. Use a copper sulfate solution and a copper anode and cathode to be plated. When the power is turned on, Cu²⁺ receives electrons from the cathode and precipitates. The speed time is displayed as s on the instrument.
    2. Compare the masses plated for 3600 s at 1 A and 2 A.
    3. In the standard conditions, only the area is doubled or only the time is halved. Area only affects average thickness.

    Interpreting your results

    What determines the copper precipitate mass at 100% current efficiency?

    m=ItM/(nF) and the average thickness is m/(ρ·area). Area determines how widely the same mass is divided.

    Assumptions and limitations

    It is an educational model with 100% current efficiency, constant current, M=63.55 g/mol, n=2, F=96485 C/mol, ρ=8.96 g/cm³. The Cu²⁺ supplied by the copper anode is sufficient, excluding concentration depletion, side reactions, voltage, surface roughness, and thickness unevenness. The area is the total plating surface area, and only the uniform average thickness is calculated. The thickness of the plating layer picture is an enlarged representation.